January 3, 2009

I Get to Grant a Wish! Congratulations, Jennifer! You Won!

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:29 am

This is about the contest sponsored on behalf of SEARS via Izea.
The opinions, memories, and words are mine.

You might remember the story I told about when I was a kid … how my mom would sit us down with the Wishbook from Sears to make a Christmas wish list …. My list kept me busy for hours — busy dreaming, and wishing, and learning the life skill of filling out order forms.

Every year my mom would grant one wish.

This year, Sears let me be the one who got to grant a wish in the the $500 Grant a Wish Giveaway!

The assignment was simple. I got to test drive a $500 gift at a SEARS store and then I had to put together three packages so that one lucky winner could use a wish from the three.

The randomly chosen winner is Jennifer Hedden. Her entry was comment #402 on my blog and she chose

Cool Tools Wish

Thank you everyone for making this experiment in blogging (and time travel) such a positive and fun experience for me.

Congratulations, Jennifer! An email has already been sent to you. I feel pretty lucky to be able to be part of all of this. Hope you and every one have the best 2009!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

The contest was sponsored. For more information about the sponsor SEARS or the contest see Izea.
It’s the spirit of the season!! Thank you.


Filed under Successful Blog | 3 Comments »


January 2, 2009

Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Chris Brogan!

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 8:51 am

Be the Original



My younger older brother was bigger than life He wa the coolest kid in the neighborhood. I was 8 and half years younger. I watched him all my life and I learned.

He was instant community. He was kind of like Tom Sawyer. He could smile around a corner.

  • He had 5 girlfriends before he was 10.
  • If he said “baseball,” the team formed before he finished the word.
  • If he said, “hockey,” the ice was cleared and smooth.
  • Kids called him “Bugs” and I never knew whether it was because of the famous bunny or the Las Vegas gambler. They were always too busy laughing to tell me.
  • He’s the one who had me trained to come when he whistled.
  • He still has a magnetic personality.

Grownups, teachers, kids, … everyone enjoyed his company.

Problem was some kids tried to be him.
Maybe we all did.

It never worked. Our voices were different. He was taller or his smile had a different tilt. We just became bad copies of my younger, older brother, instead of the really cool kids that we were.

So Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up trying to be Chris Brogan. He’s as magic as my younger, older brother … but only Chris Brogan can be Chris Brogan. Tell your babies to be an original.

Everyone has our own magic.

I know. I’ve been watching all my life.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Meet Chris Brogan close up at SOBCon09


Filed under Marketing, Successful Blog | 39 Comments »


January 1, 2009

How Famous Is Famous on the Internet?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 11:25 pm

Concrete to Virtual?

When I was growing up, my cousins across town couldn’t care less about the shows
we put on in our backyards.


We had to win over the folks who knew us before we thought about taking on the world.

See any similarities to the Internet?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation. Buy my eBook.


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January 1, 2009

Merry New Year to You!

kathryn wrote this at 7:30 am

The week that just passed was a week of celebration, visiting with family and friends, old and new, feasting and fun for many. It was also a time for reflection about the year drawing to a close and planning for the year ahead – the year that begins with this day. I hope you had a positive week and took some time for rejuvenation and some time for yourself.

There’s been a lot of talk in the blogosphere, on twitter and other platforms about what not to do, how to increase SEO, suggestions about what to write and how to write it and lots of advice. I hope in your time of reflection and planning you thought about your original intent with respect to your writing. I’d like to think you incorporate all you have learned but keep true to those intentions and continue writing in a genuine way that reflects what you really want to say.

I wish for you a peaceful and creative New Year.

Kathryn @northernchick

Thanks to Maura McGovern for the wonderful picture.


Filed under Successful Blog | 11 Comments »


December 30, 2008

The Mic Is On for TWO DAYS: Leave a Wish for 2009

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 11:34 am

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

What Is Your Wish, Your Will for the Year to Come?

Leave a wish, a word, a thought.
Leave a hope, a goal, a want.
Leave a message for a friend or the world.
Set it here for us all to remember.
Leave one or one hundred.


Happy New Year!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: sxc.hu
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?


Filed under Community, Successful Blog | 39 Comments »



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